Museum featuring Asian works opens on Japanese island of art
The Naoshima New Museum of Art, designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando, is located in a hilltop village overlooking the Seto Inland Sea in western Japan. Featuring black plaster walls and stone fences, the building has a calm, subdued appearance.
Built low to blend into the surrounding landscape, the museum has one floor above ground and two below, with four galleries arranged around a stairwell illuminated by natural light. Many tourists and families with children visited on Saturday.
Naoshima has gained fame for its extensive collection of contemporary art pieces and facilities. Since the 1980s, education services provider Benesse Corp. has played a central role in developing and managing the island's museums and related initiatives.
Hideaki Fukutake, head of the foundation operating the facility, said at the opening ceremony, "One of the attractions of the Naoshima New Museum of Art is that it remains in a constant state of evolution, with works being added and exhibits regularly changed."
The opening exhibition showcases works by 12 artists from across Asia, including Japan, China, South Korea and Indonesia. The museum is considering future programs that visitors can participate in.
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